45 Facts About Marc Mitscher

Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during World War II.

Marc Mitscher's grandfather, Andreas Marc Mitscher, was a German immigrant from Traben-Trarbach.

Marc Mitscher's other grandfather, Thomas J Shear, was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Marc Mitscher attended elementary and secondary schools in Washington, DC He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1904 through Bird Segle McGuire, then US Representative from Oklahoma.

At the insistence of his father, Marc Mitscher re-applied and was granted reappointment, though he had to re-enter the academy as a first year plebe.

Marc Mitscher took an early interest in aviation, requesting a transfer to aeronautics while aboard Colorado in his last year as a midshipman, but his request was not granted.

Marc Mitscher was in charge of the engine room on USS Stewart when orders to transfer to the Naval Aeronautic Station in Pensacola, Florida, came in.

Marc Mitscher trained as a pilot, earning his wings and the designation Naval Aviator.

Lieutenant Marc Mitscher was placed in command of NAS Dinner Key in Coconut Grove, Florida.

On May 10,1919, Marc Mitscher was among a group of naval aviators attempting the first transatlantic crossing by air.

Marc Mitscher piloted NC-1, one of three Curtiss NC flying boats that attempted the flight, under the command of Bellinger.

Marc Mitscher was made an officer of the Order of the Tower and Sword by the Portuguese government on June 3,1919.

Marc Mitscher served under Captain Henry C Mustin, another pioneering naval aviator.

Marc Mitscher was the first person to land an airplane onto the flight deck of Saratoga as he brought his air group aboard.

Between June 1939 and July 1941, Marc Mitscher served as assistant chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

Marc Mitscher was there in Virginia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Newest of the Navy's fleet carriers, Marc Mitscher worked hard to get ship and crew ready for combat.

Marc Mitscher had command of the newest carrier in the battle and had the least experienced air group.

Marc Mitscher had not anticipated the Japanese turning east into the wind while they recovered their aircraft.

Marc Mitscher brought his group in low, slowing for their torpedo drops.

The battle was a great victory and Marc Mitscher congratulated his crew for their efforts, but Hornets performance had not lived up to his expectations and he felt he had failed to deliver the results he should have.

Mrazek states that Waldron vehemently protested both decisions in front of Ring and Marc Mitscher, but was overruled by the latter.

Finally, the fact that no After Action reports were filed other than the one signed by Marc Mitscher containing the 239 course heading is unusual.

Marc Mitscher brought a fresh outlook, and instilled an offensive mindset to his assorted air commands.

Marc Mitscher later said this assignment managing the constant air combat over Guadalcanal was his toughest duty of the war.

Marc Mitscher was about to change that, leading US naval airpower into a new realm of operations.

Marc Mitscher's objective was to weaken Japanese air defenses in the Marshalls and limit their capability of flying in reinforcements, in preparation for a US invasion of the Marshalls, code named Operation Flintlock.

In Operation Hailstone, Marc Mitscher's forces approached Truk from behind a weather front to launch a daybreak raid that caught many of the defenders off guard.

Memorably, when a very long-range US Navy follow-up strike had to return to their carriers in darkness, Marc Mitscher ordered all the carriers' flight deck landing lights turned on, risking submarine attack to give his aviators the best chance of being recovered.

Marc Mitscher served briefly as commander 8th Fleet and on 26 September 1946 became Commander-in-Chief, US Atlantic Fleet, with the rank of admiral.

Marc Mitscher was intolerant of incompetence and would relieve officers who were not making the grade, but was lenient with what he would consider honest mistakes.

Marc Mitscher was not forgetful of the abuse he took at the Naval Academy.

Marc Mitscher believed pilots could not be successfully handled with rigid discipline, as what made for a good pilot was an independence that inflexible discipline destroyed.

Marc Mitscher was not patient with incompetent personnel, yet he was forgiving of what he considered "honest" mistakes, and would allow airmen a second chance when other officers would have washed them out.

Marc Mitscher placed tremendous value on his pilots and had great respect for the risks they were willing to accept in attacking the enemy.

Marc Mitscher's practice was for the flight leaders of the air groups of the carrier he was commanding from to come up to the flag bridge and report following the completion of their missions.

Marc Mitscher valued greatly the information he received from the men who had been in the air on the scene.

Marc Mitscher was devoted to these men, and made a great effort to recover as many downed aircrew as possible.

Marc Mitscher hated to lose a man, either adrift at sea, or worse, captured by the Japanese.

Marc Mitscher rarely spoke, never engaged in small talk and would never discuss mission details at the mess table.

Marc Mitscher relaxed by reading cheap murder mysteries, and when at sea he would always have one with him.

Once when a destroyer came alongside to refuel from their carrier, Marc Mitscher took the opportunity to gently rib his chief of staff, Captain Arleigh Burke.

In each case Marc Mitscher recommended a course of action which differed sharply from the one subsequently ordered by his fleet commander.

In each case, once the order was given, Marc Mitscher set about executing the order without further debate or protest.

Nevertheless, late in the war, Marc Mitscher did preempt US Fifth Fleet commander Admiral Raymond Spruance in stopping a Japanese naval sortie, centered on the super-battleship Yamato, from reaching Okinawa.